Rivalry
by TX17
Summary: They both dream to become the best. She dreams of doing it through kindness and trust. He dreams of doing it through force and fear. Again and again, they meet. Again and again, they battle. Again and again, they move closer one to another.
1. The Beginning

_**I do not own the rights to Pokemon.**_

 _ **Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

It was a windy morning as the sun was rising over New Bark Town, Johto.

A young man with bright, shoulder-length red hair walked into the city. His silver eyes and bright red hair made him stand out catching glances from the town's inhabitants as he passed them by. He pulled up the collar of his black coat to shield him from the wind, and to obscure his face somewhat from passing eyes.

He'd learned that Nathan Elm, a resident Pokemon professor, had gotten ahold of some Pokemon. Three of them, guarded by some old egghead who never leaves this small town? Easy pickings, he thought. But that didn't mean he could just march through the front door and run out with them under his arm. He took a look around, for a good place to survey Elm's lab.

As he did, his striking silver eyes made contact with the warm, brown eyes of a young girl as she was exiting her home. She had on a red shirt, a pair of denim overall shorts, and puffy, white hat. Her brown hair was styled into pigtails. The air about her was far too cheery for his liking.

The girl smiled at him, but the red-haired boy just scowled. "What are you looking at?" he asked abrasively, and pushed his way past her, almost knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!" the girl shouted after him, her voice taking an offended tone. He didn't stop or look back. He didn't even acknowledge her protest at being pushed aside. He didn't have time to waste on weaklings like her.

After surveying New Bark Town for a suitable area, he had settled on watching the lab from the window on the side, towards the town's exit. He shouldn't have much of a problem making his getaway once he grabbed the Pokemon he was after.

He looked in through the window, and watched his quarry.

Looking into the lab, the redhead saw a man in a long, white coat and glasses sat at his desk, looking over notes on his PC and nearby stacks of paper. There were bookcases near the front of the lab, an opening between them revealing the front door to the lab. But where were the Pokemon at?

"Professor Elm!" came a cheery voice from within the lab.

The man in the white coat looked up and smiled. "Lyra!" he said, happily. "So good to see you! I wondered when you'd arrive."

He stood up and hugged his visitor – that brown-eyed girl from before. The observing young man narrowed his eyes. What was she here for?

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor, Lyra," Professor Elm asked. "I'm conducting new Pokemon research right now, and I was wondering if you could help me with it. You see, I'm writing a paper that I want to present at a conference. But there are some things I don't quite understand yet. So, I'd like you to raise a Pokemon that I recently caught!"

Lyra's eyes lit up and the smile on her face grew even wider. She bounced up and down excitedly. "Of course I'll help you!"

So, she was going to get one of Elm's Pokemon. Unfortunate, but not the end of the world. The young man could make do with two.

Professsor Elm laughed at Lyra's eagerness. "Wonderful! There are three rare Pokemon we've recently found over here!" he said, motioning to a special case. He pressed a button, and the glass around the outside retracted, and three Pokeballs rotated around inside.

That's where they'd been stashed.

"Go on! Pick one!" Elm said.

Lyra grabbed the Pokeball the in the middle, and pressed the button in the center of it. The ball opened up and a small, blue reptilian Pokemon stood on the ground in front of them.

It looked around for a moment, then smiled, and began hopping up and down on the floor. "Toto Toto Toto Toto!" it cried rapidly, its toothy grin wide.

Lyra screamed, overjoyed and picked up the Pokemon, hugging it close. "It's adorable!" she shouted.

Elm smiled. "So you like Totodile, then? The water Pokemon?"

"I love it!"

Elm chuckled. Meanwhile, the young man watching through window grimaced. How could she be treating a Pokemon like that? They weren't pets. They weren't friends. They were tools.

"I think that's a great Pokemon too," Elm said, smiling.

The young watcher smiled. Elm had forgotten to close the case with the other Pokemon in it.

Elm removed his glasses and began to wipe the lenses with his coat. "Lyra, I have one more favor to ask you."

"Do I get TWO Pokemon?" she asked excitedly.

The boy looking in through the window scowled. She'd better not get another.

Elm chuckled. "I'm afraid not," he said, Lyra's face briefly losing its signature smile, but regaining it almost immediately. "I have an acquaintance people call Mr. Pokemon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. I just received an email from him, saying that this time, it's real. It IS intriguing, but we're busy with our Pokemon research. Could you go in our place?"

"Sure thing, Professor!" Lyra said, grinning.

"Wonderful!" the Professor responded. "Mr. Pokemon lives a bit beyond Cherrygrove City. It's almost a direct route to there."

"You can count on me, Professor!" Lyra reassured him.

"Here's my number," Elm said, handing Lyra a slip of paper. "Call me if anything comes up. Thank you so much, Lyra!"

Lyra took the paper and nodded. She turned to her Totodile and said "Come on, Toto! Let's go!"

"Toto Toto!" the little crocodilian cheered as he followed his trainer out the door.

The redhead gave a disgusted sigh as he watched Lyra leave. Absolutely pathetic, the way she was acting. Never, in a million years, would anyone catch him acting like that. He turned his attention back to the window.

He needed an opening.

Professor Elm sat back down at his desk. A good while passed while he looked over his notes, and then his Pokegear began to ring.

"Hello?" he said, answering it. "Hi, honey! What is it? …Yes? …Oh no… He ate WHAT? …I'll be right up!" He hung up the phone and dashed out the lab's door.

This was perfect! He just had to go in and… steal the Pokemon.

He hesitated for a brief moment, but shook his head and recommitted himself. If he didn't take it, he'd never prove his strength. He'd never become the best. And those Pokemon would just be wasted on another weakling like that girl.

He opened the window, and climbed through.

He stepped into the lab, and made his way towards the case, and grabbed the first Pokeball. He looked at the label on the ball.

"Chikorita…," he said aloud to himself. He smiled, and turned to the other ball.

"HEY!" called a voice from behind him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The boy turned to see another man in the lab, with dark hair and thick glasses, wearing the same long, white coat as Elm looking out from behind the bookcases.

Damn! He hadn't realized Elm had an aide with him.

The aide made his way towards the boy. The thief cursed under his breath and cut his losses. He had one already, that'd have to do. He dashed for the door, pushing the aide to the floor as he ran.

It wasn't what he wanted. But it was a start.

* * *

Lyra hummed happily as she made her way back to New Bark Town, carrying a large Pokemon egg in her hands – Mr. Pokemon's discovery –, all wrapped up in case she dropped it. So far, she hadn't.

Totodile was curled up inside his ball, strapped to her belt. His short legs had gotten tired from trying to keep up with Lyra's pace, so she gave the little guy a break.

She couldn't wait to break the news to Prof. Elm and her mom – about how she'd met Prof. Oak at Mr. Pokemon's house, and gotten a Pokedex. She wondered what she'd do with it, and how they'd react. Ethan would probably be happy for her once he heard!

And, of course, there was the news of the egg. Prof. Elm was going to be so excited!

And she couldn't have done it without her new friend, Totodile! The little guy had kept her safe on the whole trip, and was so brave when fighting wild Pokemon. He deserved a treat once they got back.

She wondered what exactly Prof. Elm was talking about, though, when he called her saying something terrible had happened. Did it have to do with his son? Or maybe it was-

Her train of thought was interrupted. Just as she left Cherrygrove, she saw a familiar face. The young, red-haired boy who had so rudely knocked her aside earlier. She frowned at him, but she knew there was no way she'd ever match that scowl he wore on his own face.

The boy approached her, his silver eyes boring into her. "You got a Pokemon at the Lab," he said. He then added, "What a waste. As sorry as it is, that Pokemon's too good for a wimp like you."

Lyra frowned again. "You don't know the first thing about me or Totodile! He's a good Pokemon!"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Yeah?" he asked, his tone somewhat mocking. "Well, I have a good Pokemon too." He reached for his belt, grabbing a ball from it. "I'll show you what I mean!"

He tossed the ball at the ground, opening it up and releasing the Pokemon inside of it.

It was a small, green thing with a leaf coming out of its head.

"Chika?" she said inquisitively, looking around.

Lyra let out a small squeal. "It's so cute!" she said.

Her opponent glared at her. "Bring out your Pokemon! Now!"

Lyra set the egg down, and grabbed Totodile's ball. She released him from his ball, and realized she was about to have her first battle with another trainer. She was excited by the thought.

"Toto!" her Pokemon called out, bringing her mind back to the battle.

She grinned determinedly, and shouted, "Totodile, use Scratch!"

The Pokemon let out another cry of half its name and leapt towards his opponent, his claw scratching across the grass Pokemon.

The other trainer growled as his Pokemon staggered back.

"Stand up! Fight back!" he shouted. "Use Tackle! Now!"

"Chika!" the Chikorita said, her voice sounding unsure. But she obeyed, ramming into the Totodile with all her might, knocking the lizard onto his back.

"Get up, Totodile! You can do it!" Lyra called out. The crocodilian quickly leapt to his feet, determined to continue. "That's it," Lyra encouraged him. "Use Rage!"

The boy bared his teeth angrily as his Pokemon took another hit.

The battle continued on for a while longer. But in the end, Totodile was victorious. With one final swipe of his claw, the Chikorita fell down, and made no effort to get back up.

"Great job, Totodile!" Lyra cheered, her Pokemon bouncing up and down happily with what energy he had left.

The boy growled and returned Chikorita to her Pokeball. "Hmmph," he grumbled. "Are you happy you won?"

Lyra turned to face her opponent. What was his problem with her? Why was he so angry?

"Who are you?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes. "You wanna know who I am?" he spat. "I'm Silver. Remember my name, because I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon trainer."

Lyra smiled at this. "I'm Lyra," she said to him.

"I didn't ask," he replied bluntly, and knocked her aside once more as he walked away.

She should have been angry at him. But, for whatever reason, she wasn't. She felt sorry for him.

The way he treated his Pokemon, and the look he had on his face? He wasn't happy. He probably hadn't been happy for a long time.

But what could it be? What would cause someone to be so bitter and angry at everything like that?

And his talk of being the best? The way he spoke of it, there was more to that than just a young man's dream. He had a deeper motivation, she could tell. He had something to prove – both to the world, and to himself.

Lyra sighed, sad for Silver.

"Toto?" her Pokemon said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

No sense in dwelling on it, she thought to herself. She wasn't likely to see him again – unless he achieved his goal of being the world's greatest.

"It's nothing, Toto," she said, a somewhat sad smile on her face. She rose to her feet and grabbed Totodile's Pokeball from her belt. "Come on, let's get back home!"

Returning Totodile to his ball, and grabbing the egg she had acquired from Mr. Pokemon, she began to make her way back to New Bark Town.

* * *

"Use Peck!" the old man ordered his Hoothoot.

"Razor Leaf! Now!" Silver barked at Chikorita.

"Chika!" the Pokemon acknowledged, the swift leaves cutting into her opponent.

"Hoot!" the owl Pokemon cried out in pain before it fell to the ground.

"Good," Silver remarked, pleased that Chikorita had improved to this point.

The Elder looked sad as he returned the bird to its ball. "Hoothoot, return." He turned to Silver. "Congratulations, young man. You have beaten me."

"Of course I did," Silver replied, his tone full of arrogance. He never had any doubt.

"You are very sure of yourself," the old Sage said.

"I've got every reason to be," Silver spat. "I'm not a weakling. No way I'm about to lose to one."

"You are indeed skilled as a trainer," the Elder continued. He handed Silver his reward. "As promised, here is your HM. But let me say this: You should treat your Pokemon better."

Silver rolled his eyes, making a disgusted noise.

The Elder disregarded his disrespect and continued. "The way you battle is far too harsh. Pokemon are not tools of war…"

"Oh, shut up!" Silver ordered, returning Chikorita to her ball. "That's ALL they are. Tools to get what we want. If you think otherwise, you're an idiot." He turned away from the old man and made his way towards the stairs. As he was about to go down, he saw HER come up.

Lyra.

Dammit, why was she here?

"Silver?" Lyra asked, her tone sounding surprised.

"Hmmph," Silver grunted.

"So good of you to come here!" the old man called to Lyra, applying a potion to his fainted Pokemon.

Silver was planning on just marching out without a word, but decided to speak to Lyra instead. "He's supposed to be 'The Elder,' but he's weak. It figures. I'd **never** lose to an idiot who babbles on about being nice to Pokemon."

Lyra frowned at his statement. "You **are** supposed to be kind to your Pokemon, Silver!" Lyra admonished him. "That's why Totodile and I are such a good team!"

"You and your lizard are a good team because you're both weak!" Silver growled. "And I couldn't care less about weak Pokemon. All that matters are strong Pokemon that can win."

"Is that why you beat me, then?" Lyra asked.

Silver narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. "Watch it, Pigtails," he warned her. "You have no idea who I am."

"I know you're unhappy," she answered. "And I know that's why you're so angry. That's why you won't be kind."

"A weak runt like you doesn't know anything!"

"Silver, there's nothing weak about kindness!"

Angrily, he pushed her out of his way and stormed off down the stairs.

Just who did she think she was? Did she REALLY believe that her victory in Cherrygrove meant something?

No. It was just a fluke. Beginner's luck.

There was NO WAY that this nonsense about being nice to your Pokemon had anything to do with it.

Force and fear were the motivators.

Kindness? Garbage. Absolute garbage.

And happiness? What did that have to do with anything?

Strength was all that mattered.

And he would prove it to her.

He was strong. Soon, everyone would see it. Lyra. The Elder…. **Giovanni**.

Everyone would see that he was the strongest.

That his way was right.

He kept repeating that to himself in his head, over and over, as he made his way out of Sprout Tower, heading into the night.

* * *

"Snap out of it, dammit!" Silver snarled at his confused Chikorita as they battled within Union Cave. "Razor Leaf!"

The disoriented grass type stumbled around before squinting at the weakened Zubat, the winged leech struggling to keep in the air.

Finally, instead of hurting itself again, she managed to hit her target with her attack.

The Zubat let out a screech and fell to the ground, not even bothering to try and get back into the air. It raised its head, looking up at its opponents.

Silver scowled at the pitiful sight as he drew a Pokeball, and threw it at the barely-conscious bat.

The ball closed around the Pokemon, and didn't move at all. The Zubat was too beaten up to put up a fight anymore.

"Return," he ordered sternly, recalling Chikorita back into her own ball.

Silver stood there for a moment, reflecting on the pathetic, sad look the Zubat had given him before he caught it. He'd beaten the thing into submission. He'd beaten it to the point that it couldn't even hover in the air any longer, and just laid there on the ground.

The Sprout Tower Elder's words rang in his head. " _The way you battle is far too harsh. Pokemon are not tools of war…_ "

He grimaced at the thought. The old man was wrong. He HAD to be. That's why he lost! His ways? His nonsense about kindness? It was weak, and so was he for thinking it.

But then… that would mean Lyra was weak too.

But she beat him.

He'd told himself several times already that it was just a fluke, but that was becoming less and less convincing.

And then those words she'd said to him. More garbage about kindness not being weak – and his happiness? He shouted wordlessly in frustration, and slammed his fist into the cave wall beside him.

" _Unhappy?!_ " he growled to himself. She didn't know the first thing about him! She didn't know ANYTHING!

She wasn't even around anymore! Why was she still bothering him so much?!

He huffed in frustration, and looked down at his hand, blood dripping from two of the knuckles.

He clenched his fist once more and forcefully punched the wall again.

His "harshness" didn't matter. If that Zubat couldn't take it, it was because it was weak. If his opponents were kind to their Pokemon, they were weak.

He wasn't weak.

HE WASN'T WEAK!

Repeating his mantra of strength to himself, Silver ventured further into the cave to train.

Almost a full day later, he emerged from the cave onto Route 32. His training had paid off, he felt.

His Chikorita had evolved into a Bayleef. He'd pushed her and pushed her to this point.

He'd proved that this garbage of "kindness" was just that. Garbage.

Turning westward, he made his way towards Azalea Town.

"Yeah, I know!" came a deep voice from nearby. A large, bearded hiker was on his Pokegear, talking loudly to someone. "Yeah, at the Slowpoke Well! …I didn't see it, but I heard about it. …Yeah, Team Rocket was behind it!"

What?

No, that couldn't be right.

"Who'da thought they'd come back after all this time?" the hiker continued.

Silver scowled. Those Rocket weaklings were back? Good. He could prove how strong he was and crush them. He made his way towards Slowpoke Well.


	2. Ilex Forest

_**I do not own the rights to Pokemon.**_

 _ **Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

Lyra got back onto the road out of town, after healing her team at the Azalea Pokemon Center.

She never figured her passing through the small town would be so full of excitement. Not only had she beaten Bugsy and gotten the Hive Badge, but she'd also beaten Team Rocket at the Slowpoke Well and saved all of Azalea Town's Slowpoke.

She was a hero to these people!

It was nice to be so appreciated, but she didn't really feel she deserved it. She'd just done what she thought anyone would have done.

Still, it was pretty cool. She was somewhat sad to have to leave, but she was taking the League Challenge, so she couldn't stick around. Goldenrod City was waiting for her.

She made her way towards Ilex Forest, where she'd helped the Kiln owner's apprentice find his Farfetch'd earlier. The Forest was spooky, but she had her Pokemon to protect her.

As she made her way towards the Forest, she heard a familiar voice shout out behind her. "Hey! Pigtails!"

She turned and saw his bright red hair and piercing, silver eyes. He wasn't happy.

But when was he ever?

"Silver," she said, trying to smile for him. "What are you doing here?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I was just at Slowpoke Well, but it was deserted," he said. "Tell me something. Is it true that Team Rocket's back?"

"Yep," she answered. Then in a cheerier tone (kind of bragging, really), she added, "I beat them!"

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "You beat them? Ha! Quit lying."

Lyra pouted. "I'm not! I went to the well and found them cutting off Slowpoke tails. They tried to chase me off, but I fought them."

"You're serious?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. It was clear he didn't buy it for a second. He scowled, and reached for a pokeball on his belt. "Then let's see how good you are!"

With a fierce determination in his eyes, he brought out his Zubat, ready for battle.

With a sigh, Lyra grabbed a Pokeball of her own and called forth her recently-evolved Croconaw.

"Supersonic!" Silver shouted at his Zubat.

"Croconaw, use Scratch!"

Their battle carried on, with Lyra encouraging her Pokemon, and Silver barking out orders and insults at his own.

She brought down his Zubat with ease, the Pokemon clearly uneasy with training under him.

Then his Gastly, which fared only slightly better.

And then his Bayleef. She'd put up a good fight, but in the end was brought down by Lyra's Pidgeotto.

With his last Pokemon fainted, Silver was beaten.

He scowled and recalled Bayleef into her ball. Growling, he turned to Lyra and said, "Listen, you. You only won because my Pokemon were weak."

"Silver…," Lyra sighed.

"You're not strong. You can't beat the strong! You're weak." he continued. "And I hate the weak. Pokemon, Trainers. It doesn't matter who or what. That goes for Team Rocket too! They think they're big and tough as long as they're in a group! But get them alone, and they're weak."

Lyra frowned at Silver's words. "Is that why you're always alone?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Relying on others makes you weak," he spat. "You can only count on yourself to be strong."

She looked up at him for a moment, and reached a hand out, resting it on his shoulder. "Silver," she said, sadly. "You don't need to be alone. Having friends… being kind… that won't make you weak."

Silver stared at her, an unsure expression on his face. The two stood in silence for a brief moment. Then he scowled, and shook her hand off his shoulder. "Get off me!" he demanded. "You stay out my way."

He pushed her aside once more and went into the Ilex Forest gatehouse.

She looked after him as he walked away for a moment before he disappeared through the gatehouse door. She shook her head sadly, and turned towards her Pidgeotto. She recalled it into its ball and turned back towards the Pokemon Center to rest her team up.

Once that was all said and done, she made her way into Ilex Forest.

The Forest was dark and spooky. Just like she remembered it from before.

She walked around the woods for a while, seeing less and less ahead of her as time went on.

The sun was already setting by the time she entered, so it was safe to say it was only going to get darker. With this visibility, there was no way she'd be getting to Route 34 before sunrise. Lyra facepalmed at her own stupidity. She should've just spent the night in Azalea Town. Even if the Pokemon Center was full, Kurt would've let her stay at his place.

But in this darkness, she wasn't sure she could find her way back to the Azalea gatehouse.

Lyra stopped and let out a sigh. She looked around for any sign of an exit.

Off in the distance she saw a light. It looked like a campfire.

It wasn't too far away. She could make it there!

She smiled and began heading towards the light.

After a few minutes of walking through the trees and fighting off Caterpies and Paras, she could see she was close. She approached the campfire to find it seemingly abandoned.

There was a log set up near the fire to sit on, and the site was near a small pond. On further inspection, she saw a sleeping bag laid out on the other side of the fire.

Whoever had set this up was likely to come back, but she had no way of telling when.

She plopped down on a log and decided to wait a while before setting up camp herself. When no one came after ten minutes, she began to unpack, setting out her own sleeping bag and getting out a small cooking pot.

She set water from the pond to boil over the fire, and went to grab a small bag of rice from her pack.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind her. "What the hell are you—oh no."

She turned and saw Silver, the usual scowl on his face.

"Silver!" she said, smiling at him.

"What are you doing here? Get out of my camp!"

"But I already started making food," she said, pointing to the pot of water she'd hung over the fire.

"I don't care, get out!" Silver ordered. "I am NOT sharing my camp with a wimp like you!"

"Well, I'm not going anywhere!" she shot back. "If you want to get rid of me, you're going to have to make me leave." She crossed her arms and shot him a taunting glance. She was daring him to make her leave.

He scowled and marched over to her. "All right, you asked for it!"

Silver tried grabbing hold of her, but Lyra nimbly dodged him. He glared at her and tried again, only to receive similar results.

"You'll have to do better than that, Silvy!" she taunted him.

His silver eyes narrowed as he bared his teeth. It was evident to her that he did **not** care for the nickname. He roared as he lunged towards her, wrapping his arms around her to incapacitate her.

"Gotcha!" he shouted triumphantly.

His arms wrapped around her, Lyra stood frozen for a minute. Then, in a brief panic, she screamed and pushed him away forcefully.

"Whoa!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards, and fell into the pond with a splash.

Lyra stood still, staring at the water with her hands over her mouth.

Silver's head poked out of the water, his scowl seeming somehow worse than usual, and his hair hanging down in front of his eyes. He spit out a small stream of water and moved his bangs up off of his face.

"Are you happy now?" he asked, annoyed.

Lyra began to giggle slightly, then fell down, doubling over in a loud laugh that echoed throughout Ilex Forest.

While she was on the forest floor laughing, Silver had climbed out of the pond and had gone over to a tree near the site. He took off his soaked jacket and hung it up on a tree branch. He then took off his belt.

"H-hey!" Lyra said. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" Silver shot back, irritated. "I'm soaking wet. I need to change clothes."

"O-oh…," Lyra said, looking away. "Right."

"Yeah, yeah," Silver said rolling his eyes. "Don't look."

He'd gotten out of his wet clothes and dried off with a cloth he carried, and sat down by the fire in a black shirt and a pair of purple jeans. He said nothing.

Lyra was still looking away, unsure of whether or not he had finished.

"Are you just gonna sit there all night?" Silver asked her.

She turned her head and saw him sitting there, and noticed how the black shirt clung tightly to his chest. She blushed briefly, and turned her gaze away from him and towards the pot. The water had already begun to boil.

"Oh, the rice!" she reminded herself, and opened up the bag. Pouring a small amount into the pot, she let it simmer.

A while passed in silence as the rice cooked. When it was finally done, Lyra grabbed the pot with a thick rag and poured out the water while trying to keep the rice in. Setting the pot down, she grabbed two wooden bowls out of her pack and filled them both with rice. She turned to Silver and handed him one.

Silver raised his eyebrow, looking at the rice bowl, and then at Lyra, unsure of what to do.

"What?" he finally asked.

"Eat," Lyra said. "You need food."

"I don't need **your** charity," he grumbled at her.

"And I don't need your attitude, Silver," she shot back. "Maybe try 'thank you,' hmm? Now have some food."

Silver grunted and took the bowl. Lyra handed him a pair of chopsticks to eat with, which he also took grudgingly.

Throughout the meal, Lyra tried talking to him about a variety of things, but he ignored them all, eating in silence. When she realized she wasn't going to get a conversation out of him, she frowned.

Well, at least he'd stopped trying to force her out of camp.

Despite his apparent displeasure at accepting food from a girl who'd beaten him twice already (three times, if you count pushing him into the pond), he'd eaten her food quickly, finishing a good few minutes before she did.

"So," she said, hoping to get him to talk now that he'd finished eating, "where are you from, Silver?"

"Kanto," he said, not making eye contact.

"Oh, wow," she said, surprised. She hadn't expected him to be from outside of Johto. "How'd you end up in Johto?"

"Bad luck," he said, frowning.

"What happened?"

"Why do you care?"

Lyra was somewhat taken aback, but then remembered who she was talking to. She frowned at his rudeness, but she wasn't really all that mad at him. "I'm just trying to get to know you, Silver."

"What makes you think I want that?" he asked, annoyed.

"Fine," she huffed, "don't tell me. Be that way."

"Fine," he growled back, "I won't!"

The two glared at each other, Lyra blushing and turning away after a few seconds of eye contact.

Silver sighed and turned towards the ground.

What the hell was going on? Why in the world was this girl being so nice to him? She had no reason be. He sure was never this nice to her.

He wasn't really nice to anyone, honestly. But few people had been on the receiving end of his attitude as frequently as she was. And none had really ever tried to be as nice to him as she had.

But he just couldn't figure out why.

"Why are you doing this?" he finally asked.

"I told you," she answered, washing the bowls in the pond. "I just want to get to know y-"

"No," he said. "not that. I mean, why do you want to get to know me? Why are you giving me your food? Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I just…," Lyra stopped herself, and let out a sigh. "You're just always so angry and upset. I've never once seen you happy, and you don't deserve to be so miserable. No one does, Silver."

Silver's expression softened for a moment, but only a moment. He shook his head and scowled again. "You don't know anything about me."

"No," she admitted. "but I'd like to get to know you."

"Why?" he repeated loudly.

"Because maybe you just need a friend."

Silver's eyes widened. This entire concept of someone trying to be his friend was foreign to him. Why should she care? Why should HE? He frowned and said. "I don't need any friends. I never have."

Lyra frowned at the words. "Everyone needs friends, Silvy."

Silver's scowl grew at the use of the nickname. "Not me."

A few more moments passed in silence, and Lyra finally spoke. "Why did you steal that Chikorita from Prof. Elm?"

Silver's eyes widened. "How did you— you didn't even—"

"I went back to the lab after we battled in Cherrygrove," she explained. "You didn't have to steal it, you know."

"Right," Silver spat sarcastically. "Because that old man would've just given it to me, some stranger he's never even seen before."

"He might have!" Lyra said, defending the Professor.

"And I might become King of Johto one day, that doesn't mean it's likely!"

Lyra frowned at his cynicism, and turned away.

"So, what? Are you gonna turn me in now, is that it?"

"No," she said, facing away from him.

Silver raised his eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "No?"

"No," she repeated, still not looking at him. "I don't think you're a bad person, Silver. You've just done some bad things."

Silver made no reply. He wasn't sure what to say to her anymore.

She grabbed her Pokeballs and let her Pokemon out. Croconaw, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree.

"Time to eat, guys," she said to them, getting their food from out of her pack.

The Pidgeotto and Butterfree began eating immediately. But the Croconaw just stood there, staring at Silver.

"What?" he asked it.

"Naw," it growled back at him.

"It's all right, Croconaw," Lyra reassured it. "He's a friend. Come on, eat your food."

Friend? Dammit, he just said he didn't need friends!

Was she hard of hearing? Was that it?

He frowned again, and shook his head.

"You should let your Pokemon out too," she said.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Aside from feeding them," she told him, "they enjoy being out. You really think they like being cooped up in their Pokeballs forever?"

"What they like doesn't matter," he answered her. "Pokemon are just tools we use."

Lyra stopped petting her Croconaw immediately, and turned to Silver, her eyes narrowed in a fashion similar to how he did. "They're more than that!" she said sternly. "Our bonds with them are what make them strong!"

"Then why am I doing so great without your 'love' and 'kindness' garbage?"

"You're not doing well at all, Silver," she said. "You just can't see it."

Silver only grunted in reply. He was doing fine. He was **strong**. The only one he couldn't beat was **her**. And it drove him nuts.

After a brief pause, he got up and moved to leave the campsite.

"Where are you going?" Lyra asked.

"Mind your own business," he answered, and walked off.

He made his way to a secluded area, a good ways away from the campfire and grabbed Bayleef's Pokeball. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. He let out a sigh, and brought his Pokemon out.

"Bay?" Bayleef said, tilting her head inquisitively.

He raised his hand, but lowered it again. Bayleef just stared at him, confused.

After a brief pause, he raised his hand once more, and began stroking Bayleef's neck.

The Pokemon flinched at first, but then realized what Silver was doing. She smiled and happily cooed out her name. She then jumped up onto Silver, knocking him down and licking his face.

Okay.

He'd had enough.

"Return," he ordered, recalling the Pokemon to its ball. He wiped his face off and grumbled.

Weak. Ideas of a weakling. He was stupid for even considering it. He put the Pokeball back into the holster on his belt and headed back towards camp. To his surprise, Lyra was still awake, sitting on the log.

"What are you doing still awake?" he asked.

"I was waiting for you," she answered in a yawn.

"Why?"

"To make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," he grumbled, moving to his sleeping bag. "I don't need you to worry about me."

He kicked off his shoes and sat down on his sleeping bag, getting ready to turn in for the night. Lyra followed suit.

"Good night, Silver," she said.

Silver made no reply, and crawled into his sleeping bag silently.

The night came and went, and the rays of sunlight began to peak in through the gaps between the trees. A ray of light shone onto Lyra's face and she stirred awake. She sat up and looked over at where Silver was sleeping.

It was empty.

He must've gone before she woke up.

She sighed to herself. Would that boy ever soften up? It's not like she was trying to get something from him. She just wanted to be his friend, was all.

She honestly wasn't sure why.

He was a jerk. He mistreated her, he insulted her, and now he'd just ditched her. But she wasn't angry with him. She WAS upset at the way he acted, but she couldn't bring herself to hold it against him.

Despite everything, she still wanted to try and get through to him. She wanted to try and get close to him. Walk with him, talk with him. Stand close to him…

Her heartbeat picked up, and she shook her head.

Why on Earth did she keep thinking about him?

Rolling up her sleeping bag, Lyra stood up to walk over to her pack. As she put everything away, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She saw a black jacket on the ground, at the foot of a tree.

She walked over to it, and picked it up.

It was Silver's, all right.

She looked around to see if maybe he was still nearby, but there was no sign of him. It must have fallen in the night. He must not have seen it when he up and left earlier that morning.

Lyra looked the jacket over. It was filthy. How in blazes did Silver manage to wear it in this condition?

Fortunately, she knew how to wash clothes. And there was a pond right next to the campsite. Grabbing a bar of detergent from her pack, she went to work. It'd take time, but she had time to spare.

And besides, this would give her a reason to find him again.


	3. Mahogany

_**I do not own the rights to Pokemon.**_

 _ **Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

For a place called "The Burned Tower," it was surprisingly chilly. In fact, all of Ecruteak City was chilly.

Silver was already upset he'd lost his jacket a little over a month ago, but now it was getting cold too. Adding insult to injury.

But he wasn't about to leave.

There were supposed to be legendary Pokemon in this tower, if what that Eusine moron at the Tower entrance said was true. For a little under two weeks now, he'd been scouting every inch of the Tower he could get to, and hadn't found any legendary Pokemon yet. But if he wanted to be the strongest, he was going to have them.

The creaky door to the Tower ruins opened, and he heard that idiot Eusine and the local gym leader talking to someone. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but it didn't matter. If **he** couldn't find those legendary Pokemon, there was no way **they** could.

Still, it had been a fruitless search so far. Maybe he **was** wasting his time.

"Silver!" he heard a familiar voice say from behind him. He recognized it immediately.

"Oh, it's you," he said, not even turning to look at Lyra. "You must be here to catch the legendary Pokemon to make yourself look strong."

"Uh, actually, I-"

"That's just a dream," he continued, "A legendary Pokemon's really a better fit for a trainer like me, who's going to be the strongest." He turned around to face Lyra, and saw her wearing his jacket.

His eyes widened.

Wow. She actually looked good in it.

He shook that thought from his mind and frowned. This was no time to think about something so stupid. "Hey!" he shouted, "My jacket! Give me that back, you thief!"

Lyra frowned. "Thief?" she repeated. "You're one to talk to Silvy!"

"I said give it back!" he snarled.

"I was going to," she said, "but since you're being such a jerk, I think I'll keep it." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Angry, he growled at her and drew a Pokeball from his belt. "I said give it back!" he yelled, tossing the ball down. His Magnemite popped out and hovered in the air.

Lyra sighed and brought out her Sandshrew. It was clear where this was going.

Claws struck, and attacks were called.

One by one, Silver's Pokemon fell. Lyra's, however, were doing fine.

Enraged, Silver grabbed his last Pokeball and called out his Bayleef. "RAZOR LEAF!" he shouted.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Lyra called out to her own Pokemon.

The bird Pokemon withstood Bayleef's onslaught, and with powerful flaps of its wings, took the grass Pokemon down. With a weak cry of its name, Bayleef fainted.

"No!" Silver shouted. His frustration had boiled over. He was livid. He angrily returned Bayleef to her Pokeball, and glared daggers at Lyra. "Whatever! Keep the damned jacket! I'm out of here! There's no damned legendary Pokemon here! And if there were, YOU'D never be able to catch one!"

He pushed her aside and stormed off towards the exit.

"Silver!" she called out after him.

"Go away!" he shouted back, still walking away.

Suddenly, something landed on his head, and covered his eyes. "What the hell?" Silver cursed as he flailed around to get it off. It was his jacket. She'd thrown it at him.

"I didn't steal it," Lyra's voice came from behind him. "I found it on the Ilex Forest floor. You left it behind."

Silver sighed, and began to put the coat on. He buttoned it up, and turned to leave, but he heard a small sniffle come from Lyra.

He turned around and saw her sitting against the wall, small tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Oh, hell. Did he REALLY make her cry with THAT?

Normally he'd just dismiss her as a weakling baby, but not this time. For whatever reason, he actually felt a little bit of genuine remorse.

She **had** come all this way to give him back his jacket, and what does he do? He blows up at her. She may not have been his friend, but it was still more than anything anybody else had ever done for him.

He sighed, and paused for a brief moment. "…thanks," he mumbled to her, and turned away.

She looked up at him and smiled a small smile as he walked away. He didn't see it, and was out the door before long.

Lyra sat there alone, collecting herself. She wasn't quite sure why she'd let Silver's little episode get to her. Had it been anyone else, she'd probably have just shrugged it off. Maybe.

She wiped the beginnings of tears from her eyes, and rose to her feet.

This wasn't a time for moping. After all, getting Silver of all people to say "thanks" certainly wasn't an easy thing to do.

She chuckled to herself over her small, yet immense victory in that regard.

Her brief sadness overwith, she had a newfound resolve in her current task.

Not only did Morty and Eusine think that there were legendary Pokemon in Burned Tower, but Silver did too? Definitely a lead worth exploring.

* * *

The stars dotted the night sky, shining down over Route 39.

It had been a busy two months for Lyra. She'd managed to acquire the Fog Badge in Ecruteak City, the Storm Badge in Cianwood City, and the Mineral Badge in Olivine City. Not only that, but she'd managed to get medicine from the Cianwood Pharmacy to cure the Ampharos lighting up the Olivine Lighthouse.

And in all this time, she'd only run into Silver once. He was coming out of the Olivine Gym, upset that the Gym Leader, Jasmine, wasn't taking any challengers due to the state of the Lighthouse Ampharos. He'd managed to keep his temper in check this time around, but he'd still made some remarks regarding "weak Pokemon" when talking about the Jasmine and her Ampharos.

The poor boy still didn't seem to get it.

She remembered various things he'd said since they'd met in Cherrygrove.

" _I'd never lose to an idiot who babbles on about being nice to Pokemon._ "

" _Relying on others makes you weak. You can only count on yourself to be strong._ "

" _What they like doesn't matter_. _Pokemon are just tools we use._ "

" _Just let the sick Pokemon go! A Pokemon that can't battle is worthless!"_

It made Lyra sad, honestly. He still didn't understand. Silver was thicker than a Blastoise's shell, and his head was harder than a Rhyhorn's.

Still, despite all this, Lyra still cared for him. She'd gone over it a hundred times since their little campout in Ilex Forest. Despite his aggressiveness, and overall bad attitude (which had actually improved quite a bit since they first met in New Bark Town), she kept thinking about him. That long, red hair. Those piercing, silver eyes. And the fluttering heartbeat she got whenever she saw him – or even when she just started thinking about him, trying to rationalize her feelings. There was no more mistaking it – she was crushing on her rival. Big time.

At first she fought it. She didn't want to believe it. He was a jerk. But at the same time, she also wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to help him see that friends and kindness, that companionship didn't make one weak.

Was she being a white knight? Determined to swoop in and be the hero? Maybe it had started out that way. But now, she just wanted to see him become a better person. She wanted to see him happy. And she wanted to be a part of his life. Because she cared deeply for him.

She looked at the area around her, and wondered what Silver was doing.

"I wonder if he ever thinks about me?" she said aloud. She was sure he didn't. And the thought saddened her quite a bit. But still, there was no way she hadn't had any effect on him. Even if he didn't feel the same way about her, he'd improved as a person and a trainer, even if only a bit.

He didn't know it, but she knew full well what he did that night in Ilex Forest. He tried his hand at kindness towards his Bayleef. He didn't venture quite far enough from camp to keep her away. And while it didn't really last, that was a marked improvement from the boy who'd shoved her around Cherrygrove and Violet City.

And she was so happy for him, seeing just how much he'd changed from that boy. Maybe he wasn't the most upstanding person. Maybe he was bent on spreading his unhappiness. Maybe he was a big jerk. But he was **her** big jerk. And she wanted to see his life get better. She wanted to see him happy.

Her Feraligatr growled next to her, a hint of concern in his tone.

Lyra smiled up at him (as he now towered more than a good two feet over her). "It's nothing, big guy," she said, scratching him on the neck. "Come on, let's go."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Ecruteak City, inside of Mount Mortar, just off of Route 42, Silver himself was busy trying to train his Pokemon.

"Fury Swipes!" he ordered his Sneasel.

The Pokemon obeyed and clawed at the enemy Machop they'd encountered.

The Machop let out a shout and picked up a large rock from the cave floor. With another shout of its own name, it tossed the stone through the air, colliding with the Sneasel, knocking it back.

"Get back up!" Silver barked.

The Sneasel struggled upwards, and looked back to Silver. It was being pushed far too hard.

Silver scowled at it. He knew that the Pokemon was at its rope's end, but dammit, he wasn't about to let up just because it was too weak to keep going. It was going to learn, one way or the other.

"Icy Wind!" he ordered.

Sneasel opened his mouth and shot out a blast of freezing air, the Machop bracing itself against its opponent's onslaught.

When Sneasel had finally finished, it stood weakly, awaiting the battle's finishing blow.

The Machop lunged towards Sneasel, and with both hands, delivered swift chops against Sneasel's body. Unable to take any more punishment, Sneasel fainted.

"No!" Silver shouted, returning Sneasel to his ball. "Dammit, no!" He fumbled around on his belt for another Pokeball, and called forth his Golbat. The bat let out a screech as the Machop beat its chest.

"Air Cutter!" Silver shouted, glaring at the Machop. With incredibly rapid flaps of its wings, waves of air rushed from Golbat to the Machop, beating the fighting type down.

The wounded Machop fell to the floor, and whimpered its own name before fainting.

"Return," Silver spat, recalling his Pokemon. He turned away from the fainted Machop, angry at his Sneasel's failure. Sure, Golbat had been victorious, but only because Sneasel had been whittling away at the Machop's health.

Why? Why wasn't he strong enough?

He'd been training for almost a year since he got his first Pokemon!

Force and fear, that was what made Pokemon strong. And that's what he'd stuck to in his training.

So why the hell was he still having so much trouble?!

Yes, he'd won almost every battle he'd had, but the margin by which he won was getting smaller and smaller with every passing day.

What was he missing?

He exasperatedly ran his hands once through his hair, slowly. He let out a sharp sigh, frustrated.

These thoughts were becoming more and more common. And every single time – every damned time – it always came back to **her**.

That girl with the pigtails from New Bark Town. Lyra. The only person he'd ever lost to.

It ALWAYS came back to her, and to what she'd told him practically every time they'd come across each other in Sprout Tower in Violet City, nearly a year before.

" _Treat your Pokemon better._ "

" _Kindness is not weakness._ "

" _They're not tools, they're your friends._ "

" _Trust and love makes them strong, not fear and force._ "

No! No, dammit! That was wrong!

That was the philosophy of the weak! It got you nowhere!

Kindness? Friends? It didn't make a difference! It was a weakness!

He'd been deprived of that since he was young, and he was just fine!

He let out an angry roar that echoed throughout the caverns of Mount Mortar, and fell back against the wall of the cave, sliding down towards the ground.

He hadn't seen her in near two months. She wasn't even around. Why the hell was she still bothering him even now?

He sat in silence for a moment, breathing heavily.

He reached down to his belt, and grabbed a Pokeball. Slowly, he pressed the button and brought out his Meganium.

"Meg?" the large Pokemon tilted its head quizzically, not used to being called upon outside of a battle or feeding time.

Just this once…

Just this once… he'd try being nice.

His eyes still focused on the ground, he reached up and began stroking the Meganium's neck, just as he'd done in Ilex Forest months before.

The Meganium smiled and lowered its head to Silver's, and tried licking his face.

He didn't fight it.

After a short while, he'd calmed down.

He pressed the Pokeball's button again and wordlessly recalled the Meganium.

Stupid.

Kindness? Weak.

Just like the rest of them.

He kept telling himself that, over and over.

And it became less and less persuasive each time.

* * *

"Rock Slide!" the man with the spiky, carmine hair shouted.

His Aerodactyl screeched, and a small flow of rocks pelted Silver's Golbat, knocking it out of the air, unconscious onto the ground.

Silver growled in frustration, and returned Golbat to his Pokeball.

He'd heard word that Team Rocket was messing with the Magikarp at Lake of Rage. He'd managed to intimidate one of their pathetic Grunts into telling him where they were holed up. Now he was in a hideout underneath the Mahogany Town Mart.

He'd managed to scare away or beat every Grunt that came his way in the hideout, but then there was this freak walking around in a cape. Silver called the man out, ordering him to clear out; that Team Rocket was **his** mark.

Now he was battling this insanely powerful trainer, and he was getting demolished.

Already, four of his Pokemon had fainted. Meganium was all he had left, and she wasn't doing too well herself. But he was out of options.

Grabbing his last Pokeball, he brought out his damaged starter.

"PETAL DANCE! NOW!" he roared, Meganium complying with his command.

Pedals flew off of Meganium's neck and spun around the air, flying towards and cutting into the Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, use Wing Attack!" the man shouted. With a powerful shriek, the Aerodactyl leapt into the air, and dove down towards Meganium, its wings flailing wildly, beating into Meganium.

And with that, she fainted.

"Well done, Aerodactyl," the man said, raising a Pokeball. "Return."

Silver lost.

He NEVER lost.

To this day, the only person who had ever beaten him was Lyra.

And, as much as he hated it, he'd almost come to expect it when he challenged her.

But **this**? Losing to **this** man? It infuriated him.

"Do you know why you lost?" the dragon trainer asked.

Silver made no reply, he just narrowed his eyes in his usual, threatening manner.

"You and your Pokemon are not a team," the man continued. "You act like a slave driver. A cruel master to oppressed servants."

"What's your point?" Silver spat, his tone venomous.

"You don't treat your Pokemon right," the man answered. "You don't love them. You don't trust them."

"And I'm stronger for it!"

"No! You're weak because of it!" the man shot back. "Until you learn to treat your Pokemon as friends – with kindness and compassion – you will NEVER be strong."

Silver bared his teeth in anger, but the man had already turned away.

How dare he.

HOW DARE HE.

Silver was weak? WEAK?

NO! He was strong! And he was strong because he DIDN'T waste his time on stupid ideas like kindness towards Pokemon. He ruled over them as a Pokemon master should, not some stupid kid fresh into the field! THAT is why he was strong!

That was why... right?

Once he was sure the man was gone, Silver dropped to his knees. He slammed his fist into the ground, screaming in rage.

He stayed there kneeling for a moment, his breath heavy.

"Silver…," he heard someone say.

He looked up, and saw Lyra standing over him, a sad expression on her face.

Of course.

She just HAD to be here right now.

"So," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, "you're messing with them again? Hmmph. You must really like Team Rocket."

"Silver…," she repeated.

The redhead rose to his feet. "Tell me," he continued, "who was the guy in the cape who used Dragon Pokemon? My Pokemon were no match at all."

"Silver, it's-" she began to speak, but was cut off.

"I don't care that I lost," Silver lied, his voice becoming unsteady. "I can beat him by getting stronger Pokemon. It's what he **said** that bothers me…" That was true, at least. "He told me that I don't love and trust my Pokemon enough. I'm **furious** that I lost to a bleeding heart like HIM!" he shouted.

"Silver!" Lyra shouted, and wrapped her arms around Silver in a hug. "Silver, please."

Silver calmed down somewhat. His breathing returned to normal.

"It's okay, Silver," Lyra told him, still embracing him.

Then, losing himself for a moment, he returned the embrace. The two stood in silence for a while, enjoying the other's touch.

Silver opened his eyes.

What the hell was she doing? What the hell was HE doing? This girl subscribed to that exact same belief that you were supposed to love and be nice to your Pokemon. What, exactly, was "okay"?

And now this show of affection? What the hell? This was for the weak!

…right?

It was… it WAS for the weak! It had to be!

And he WAS NOT WEAK!

He let go, and pushed her away.

Choking back tears of anger, he barked "I don't have time for you!" and bolted for the exit.

He'd hit rock bottom.

Lyra simply stood there, looking on.

She felt helpless.

There he was, pushed to the breaking point. He was in such distress – such pain.

Never mind her feelings for him. Never mind his feelings for her.

He needed a friend.

Or so she thought.

Seeing him like that hurt her. She wanted him to be happy. So she did the only thing she knew how to do.

She tried being kind.

And it drove him away.

Tears began to form in her eyes.

She felt so alone. She felt so ashamed. Is this what she'd been doing to him since the beginning?

She felt as if she could never bring herself to face him again.

And it tore her apart.

She began to sob, standing there alone.

"Silver…," she whispered as she cried.


	4. Goldenrod

_**I do not own the rights to Pokemon.**_

 _ **Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

With Lance's help, Lyra had driven off Team Rocket from Mahogany Town and Lake of Rage. Their scheme had been stopped.

She was happy to have helped, but Silver still weighed heavily on her mind. She stayed in Mahogany Town to train for another few weeks before challenging the local Gym Leader.

She'd come to terms that it wasn't her fault Silver had reacted like he did, but that didn't mean she didn't feel horrible. Seeing him like that? It was heartrending.

There was no point in denying it or sugarcoating it at this point.

She loved him.

Lyra wanted so badly to see him, but at the same time, she was afraid to find him. She was worried that seeing her would make him angry again. Not his usual anger, or even the rage he'd shown in Ecruteak City – no, but that even more self-destructive rage she'd seen him exhibit in the Rocket Hideout under Mahogany.

She would give anything to keep him from feeling that way again.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when her Pokegear began to ring.

"H-hello?" she said, trying to compose herself.

"Lyra!" Professor Elm's voice came from the other side of the line, sounding frantic.

"Professor Elm?"

"Sorry to bug you," he said quickly. "I called because something weird is happening with the radio broadcasts. They were talking about Team Rocket!"

Oh no. There was no way this was good news.

"Lyra, do you know anything about it?"

"I have to go, Professor," she said, and hung up the Pokegear.

Team Rocket's experiment with radio broadcasts under Mahogany made sense now. They were in Goldenrod City.

Now was not the time to sulk over Silver.

She straightened her hat and grabbed a Pokeball from her belt. She called forth her Pidgeotto and said, "We have to get to Goldenrod."

Meanwhile, hidden back in the depths of Mount Mortar, a young man with red hair sat against the wall. He'd been there for a long time, having retreated there after losing to the caped dragon trainer.

He had originally gone back there with the intention to train his Pokemon. And for a while, he did. But their improvement has been negligible.

He couldn't focus.

He began to question everything he believed about Pokemon and about strength.

At first, the dragon trainer's words echoed in his head. But those words? They were exactly what Lyra had been telling him since the beginning. And it wasn't just about Pokemon.

Kindness?

Compassion?

Love?

This was about his entire life.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the thoughts from his head.

Why? Why the hell did she try so damned hard to make him see things her way?

Love and kindness are for the weak. That was what he had told himself his entire life, ever since Giovanni had abandoned him.

Relying on others only bred weakness. That's why Team Rocket fell. That's why his family broke apart. That's why all his opponents lost.

All of them… except for two.

And they both believed in everything he was against.

And yet, Lyra was… the strongest trainer he knew. The strongest **person** he knew.

She was always pushing him onwards. True, it was in a direction he didn't want to go, but she was the reason he'd become so strong.

His… drive to match her, and to surpass her had taken him to great heights as a trainer.

And she was always there, somehow. Beit as that annoying girl he'd come across all over Johto and challenge to a battle, or just as a voice in his head.

And then… in Mahogany Town.

He'd stopped progressing.

He'd stopped improving.

When he'd lost to that dragon trainer, he hit a wall. He had no idea where to go or what to do.

And while he hated it at first, Lyra had been there.

She had been there and tried to comfort him when he was at his lowest point.

And what did he do?

He pushed her away.

Why? Why the hell would he do that?

Lyra, the only person in the whole world to show him any compassion – the only one who seemed to care about him at all – was the one person he wanted to get away from most.

He felt an intense sadness. His chest was incredibly heavy, and tears dripped from his face onto the cave floor.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Just what the hell was this feeling?

He didn't know how to deal with his own head right now. He rose to his feet, and in frustration, he grabbed his Pokegear from nearby and threw it at the cave wall. On contact, the radio turned on.

"…Team Rocket! After three years of preparation, we have risen again from the ashes! Giovanni! Can you hear? We did it!"

Silver narrowed his eyes. Angrily, he crushed the Pokegear underfoot, and turned towards the cave's exit. So, those pathetic Rocket weaklings were in Goldenrod?

If nothing else, they'd serve to get his mind off his current mental crisis.

* * *

He marched into the Radio Tower, his silver eyes full of anger.

Off in the corner of the lobby, he saw two Rocket Grunts talking.

"HEY!" he shouted as he marched over towards them. "TEAM ROCKET!"

He grabbed the girl's shoulder and turned her face towards him.

It was her.

"Silver…," she said softly, her eyes wide.

"Lyra…," he whispered, addressing her by her actual name for the first time. He took a step back, seeing she was wearing a Rocket uniform.

What?

WHAT?

What the hell was she doing? Was she one of them?

"What the hell are you doing dressed like THEM?" he shouted, yanking off her hat. "What was all that talk of 'kindness' and 'love' if you were just going to throw in your lot with THEM?! WAS IT ALL JUST A BUNCH OF MEANINGLESS GARBAGE?!" He angrily grabbed her collar and ripped the uniform open, exposing her red shirt underneath.

Then he realized what he'd done.

He took a step back, shocked at just how far he'd gone.

"Hey!" the Rocket Grunt said, grabbing remains of the uniform up off the floor. He looked at a label on it. "This is fake! You're not a new recruit!" The Grunt threw his ball on the ground and brought forth his Raticate.

Lyra drew a Pokeball and called out her Feraligatr.

The battle was over in two quick Slashes. The Raticate fainted, and the Grunt took off.

Lyra turned and glared at Silver, who'd just been standing there silently.

What the hell was his problem? What was wrong with him that he'd begin tearing off her clothing like that? Where did all that zeal for "kindness" and "love" come from? And why… why, despite all that, was she still so happy to see him again?

He didn't run away. He didn't break down.

He was shocked – outraged even – when he saw Lyra dressed as a member of Team Rocket. Team Rocket, whose entire existence was about exploiting and abusing people and Pokemon for profit. Team Rocket, whose mistreatment of Pokemon was by far the worst of anybody's – including Silver. Team Rocket, who stood against everything Lyra stood for.

And Silver was disappointed in her because he thought she was one of them.

She let out a small giggle.

Was he finally starting to see? She certainly hoped so.

"Silver," she said. "It's… it's good to see you again."

"You were… trying to sneak in?" he said sheepishly.

"I was," she said. "But I guess there's no point now. I'm sure he's already gone and told the others."

"I…" he said, "I… I'll let you handle this," he said ashamedly. He looked around. "I have to… beat… that dragon trainer." He cobbled together an alibi. "After that… after that, it'll be your turn, Lyra."

Lyra laughed again.

"What?" Silver asked, confused.

"You've never actually called me by my name before," she answered, smiling at him.

Her laugh was sweet.

He could feel his cheeks warming.

His heartrate picked up.

What the hell was wrong with him now? What, was seeing her after so long… after his realization… was it affecting him this much?

He was almost disgusted with himself.

He was torn between these new feelings, and what he had believed his entire life – that love and friendship was weak.

He didn't know which road to take.

"Be…," he wanted to say ' _Be careful_ ,' but he couldn't bring himself to. "Be… ready for it."

He turned and left the Radio Tower.

Lyra looked on as he did.

She was happy to see Silver.

She wanted to tell him right then and there that she loved him, but she resisted.

Now wasn't the time. She wasn't sure when it would be.

Truth be told, she wasn't sure she'd have the nerve once the time came.

But she'd seen him, and she'd seen how he'd changed.

And that was enough for now.

* * *

The Rocket Executive in the tower, Petrel, had told her where the Radio Tower Director had been stowed. In the Goldenrod Tunnel, at the far end of the Underground Passage.

She was that much closer to driving out Team Rocket from Goldenrod.

In the Underground, she found the door to the tunnel. She stepped inside, and prepared herself for whatever awaited her.

"Hold it," a familiar voice came from behind her. Lyra turned and saw Silver standing there.

He'd been tailing her since she left the Radio Tower. He was wrestling with himself over what to do.

In the end, his old habits won out.

He'd challenge her one more time to prove that his way was the true path to strength. Fear and force, not love and kindness.

No matter…

He swallowed.

…no matter what these new feelings were.

His whole life up to that point couldn't have been for nothing.

"Silver, what are you doing?" she asked him.

"I was planning on beating you after the dragon trainer…," he said, trying to keep his voice stern and cold. "…but since you're here, I'll settle our debt now."

"Silver, please," Lyra pleaded. "Not now."

He drew a Pokeball and called forth his Magnemite. "Let's go."

Lyra frowned and sighed, sending out her Sandslash.

"Supersonic!"

"Use Magnitude!"

One by one, each of his Pokemon fainted.

Things were looking terrible.

Finally, he called forth his Meganium.

She brought out her Feraligatr.

And the battle was over quickly. Despite his beliefs regarding his strength, and all his advantages, he lost.

He hadn't even come close to beating her.

He silently returned Meganium to her Pokeball.

Silver swallowed, and fell to his knees.

"Silver!" Lyra gasped, rushing over to him.

"That's really what I'm missing, then?" he said, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Love… Trust… What you've been saying all along."

"Silver…," Lyra whispered, her tone sounding hopeful.

"Everything I've believed…," he continued, "It's all been a lie, hasn't it?" His eyes began to form tears. He was about to cry in front of her. And he didn't care. His voice breaking, he continued. "I've got the strongest Pokemon. I don't go easy on my opponents. What else could it be?"

Lyra knelt down next to him and pulled him into a hug. Silently, he wept onto her shoulder.

His tears weren't purely of sadness, however. Everything he'd believed and preached, he saw that it hadn't helped him. But he also felt… free. He knew another path. The one that Lyra had tried to show him from the start.

His current one went nowhere.

Maybe it was time to switch.

But mostly, he just wanted to stay like this for a while. Locked in an embrace with her.

And so he did.

Moments passed, and neither one said a word.

Just like before.

His tears stopped flowing, and he looked up.

The two of them blushed slightly, and let go of one another.

Silver was the first to rise to his feet. "It's not going to end here," he said. "Not now. Not because of this. I won't give up my dream of becoming the world's best Pokemon trainer."

Lyra smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to."

She rose to her feet as well.

"Lyra…," Silver said, and paused. "…good luck."

And with that he turned and left.


	5. Victory

_**I do not own the rights to Pokemon.**_

 _ **Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

Lyra Soul, the hero of Johto. The girl who defeated Team Rocket on three separate occasions. Collector of all eight Johto League Gym Badges. And Professor Samuel Oak's newest prodigy.

For a little over a year, she'd been on her Pokemon quest, travelling all over Johto. From New Bark Town to Azalea. From Goldenrod to Blackthorn. She'd been all over the region, challenging the League Gyms, and getting stronger.

Now, she had just reached the end of Route 26, and was at the entrance to Victory Road, a straight shot to Indigo Plateau, and the headquarters of both the Johto and Kanto Leagues.

She stopped for a moment, and reflected on her journey up to this point.

Her friends, and her Pokemon had been vital to reaching this stage of the journey. Her Feraligatr had been with her the entire time, protecting her.

Professor Elm, and her mother, both helping as much as they could, often conveying their love and care.

And… that boy, who'd challenged her like no other. That boy, who drove her to become as strong as she'd become. That boy that, despite not knowing where he'd gone to, she still felt so close too.

Silver had disappeared after Team Rocket's takeover in Goldenrod. Nobody knew where he'd gone off to.

Her feelings for him were just as strong as they'd ever been. Stronger, even. She thought about him often, wondering where he was and how he was doing.

When he'd finally come to realize that his ideals of "force and fear" were wrong, and that love and kindness were the way to go, she was overjoyed. She knew he'd become a fine trainer, and a fine person.

She just… she just wished she'd be able to see it. She wished she could be a part of it. A part of his life.

She wondered just how much stronger he'd become.

"Silver…," she said aloud to herself.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet, Pigtails," a voice called from behind her.

Her eyes lit up. She knew that voice. She turned around, and saw him standing there.

Silver, still in that old, black jacket, his hair still hanging down to his shoulders.

But there was something different about him.

He was actually smiling.

And it was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Silver!" she shouted joyfully, and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

Silver blushed, but he gladly returned the embrace.

"It's so good to see you again!" she said.

She meant every word. She was ecstatic to finally have him nearby again.

Having him so close, and hugging her back was causing her heart to beat like mad.

She finally forced herself to let him go, and looked him in the eyes. "What… what are you doing here?"

He smiled, and brought out his badge case. He opened it up, and proudly showed her all Eight Johto badges. "I got the Rising Badge from Blackthorn last week," he said, grinning.

"That's great!" Lyra exclaimed. "So… you're taking on the Elite Four too?"

"That's right, Pigtails," he answered, putting the badge case away.

"Well…," she said, extending her hand. "Good luck, Silver."

Silver looked down at her hand, raising an eyebrow, then back up to her eyes.

"What, do you think I'm just going to split and leave you all by yourself in Victory Road?" he asked, smiling slyly. He jokingly taunted, "We both know you're way too weak to last in there all alone."

Lyra pouted. "Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah," Silver replied, smiling cockily. "So I'm going through it with you."

He really had changed. A year ago… shoot, three months ago even, he wouldn't have wanted anything to do with her. He would've berated and insulted her about six times in the short span of time they'd been talking, and he would have pushed her aside as he stormed off. Now, he was offering to accompany her to the end of the League. Just who was this boy standing in front of her now?

"Well?" he said, making his way to the entrance. "You gonna just stand there all day?"

Lyra smiled. "Coming!"

She looked him as they walked, her heart fluttering. This definitely wasn't the angry, seething boy she'd met in New Bark Town. This wasn't the harsh, bitter trainer who'd pushed her away in Mahogany Town.

Silver was happy. For the first time that she could remember since meeting him, Silver was genuinely happy.

And she was happy for him.

The two walked for what seemed like hours, conversing about what had happened since they last saw one another. With Rhyhorns, Gravelers, Golbats, and Onixes popping out to interrupt them, they certainly never were bored.

"…and then, I made my way here, to Victory Road," Silver said, concluding his tale. "I'm actually kinda surprised you haven't taken on the Elite Four yet."

"I decided to train Route 45 for a while before coming to Kanto," she replied. "I figured I'd need to be even stronger to take down the Elite Four."

"Try all you want, Pigtails," he said, smiling, "but I'M gonna be the greatest Pokemon trainer ever."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Silver," she replied, smiling back.

"You won't get anything less either," he added.

The duo continued down Victory Road, until finally, they had to make camp.

"How deep **is** this damned cave?" Silver spat.

"I never want to see a mountain again," Lyra whined, as she sprawled herself out on top her sleeping bag.

Silver began to unroll his own bag when his stomach growled. He looked over at Lyra. "Tell me you have food."

"You didn't bring any?"

"I didn't think we'd be stuck in this cave the whole day!"

Lyra chuckled at his carelessness. She unzipped her pack and brought out her pot, a bag of rice, and a large bottle of water. Somehow, it all managed to fit in her pack.

She filled the pot with water and brought out her Flareon, and had him heat the pot with his fire.

Silver, meanwhile, began bringing out his Pokemon as well. He brought out their food, and turned back to Lyra. "How's it coming?"

"Just a bit longer, and I can add the rice," she answered. She looked up at his team. "The Kadabra's new," she said.

"Yeah," he said. "I caught him on Route 42. I spent a lot of my time around there after we split up in Goldenrod." He reached over and scratched Kadabra behind the ear. "He's good to have in a battle."

The Kadabra smiled, happy at the attention both trainers paid to it.

"Can you keep watch, Kadabra?" Silver asked the psychic type.

"Kadabra," it replied, and climbed up on a rock, and began to look around.

"You've really changed, Silver," Lyra said.

He blushed slightly. "Yeah, I guess I have," he answered.

"No, I mean it," she said, adding the rice to the pot. "You really care about your Pokemon. I can tell."

Silver smiled, but made no reply.

"I think it's great!" she added.

Again, Silver made no reply. His blush reddened further, and he turned away.

"About a year ago," he finally said, "when you found me in Sprout Tower… you said… you said I was unhappy." He looked back at Lyra. "You were right. I was miserable."

"Silver…," Lyra said his name.

"I didn't care about anything or anyone," Silver continued. "I just looked out for myself. I didn't have any friends. I didn't have anyone who cared about me. And I treated my Pokemon like dirt. I treated **you** like dirt." His gaze returned to the ground as he spoke, a frown on his face. "But you… despite the huge jerk I was, you stood by me. You did so much to try and keep me going." He paused, and added, "You taught me that kindness… and love… don't make people weak. They make us strong."

It was Lyra's turn to blush. "I just… I…"

"Thank you, Lyra," he said. "For everything."

The two sat in silence for a brief moment.

"Flare! Flare!" her Flareon called out, signaling that it had finished boiling the water.

She quickly grabbed the pot with a cloth, and went to pour the water out.

"I'll get some bowls out," Silver said, looking into his pack.

Lyra came back with the pot, and was about to scoop the rice into a bowl when Silver's Kadabra began to shout.

"Dabra! Kadabra!"

Silver immediately jumped to his feet.

Suddenly, the cavern began to rumble. Silver's eyes widened.

"Lyra, MOVE!" he yelled, as his Pokemon scattered.

A giant moving mass of stones slithered past their encampment. An Onix. A BIG one.

The loud rumbling lasted a good while before the Onix finally passed their campsite by. When they were finally sure it was gone, Silver rushed over to Lyra's side.

"Lyra!" he called. "Lyra! Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she said, still shocked. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm starting to think making camp wasn't a good idea," he muttered.

"Well, it's gone now, right?"

"Yeah, I think so-"

"ONIX!" the Pokemon's cry boomed as it came back around, leaping into the air.

"MOVE!" Silver shouted once more, shoving Lyra out of the Onix's path.

The cave shook as the Onix crashed down between the two trainers, and slithered away. When it was finally gone, Silver spoke up.

"We can't stay here, we have to move," he said. He looked around for Lyra, but couldn't see her. "…Lyra?" he asked.

No response came.

"Lyra?" he asked again, louder.

"LYRA!" he shouted, panic evident in his voice.

"Silver!" she called back.

Silver ran over to the edge of the cliff they'd been encamped by. Lyra was a good four feet below, having managed to catch hold of an outcropping on the cliffside.

"Lyra!" Silver shouted again.

"I'm losing my grip!" she shouted. "Help me!"

No! No no no no no!

This wasn't happening!

THIS WASN'T HAPPENING!

He'd JUST reunited with her, he couldn't lose her now!

Immediately, Silver dropped to the ground, hanging over the edge of the cliff as much as he could without losing his own balance. His arm hung down, reaching for Lyra.

"Take my hand!" he called down to her.

Lyra tried grabbing for Silver's hand, but she couldn't reach it.

"I can't reach it!"

"No," he muttered to himself. "No no no!"

He looked around for something – ANYTHING – that he could use to reach her. But there was nothing. Just dirt and stones.

"No," he repeated. "No!"

"Mag," came the call of his Magneton. "Magneton."

The magnet Pokemon floated past him and set itself down on the cliff's edge.

"Mag."

Of course. It was a steel type. It'd be sturdy enough to support her weight.

"Thank you," Silver muttered, grabbing hold of one of the magnets, as he lowered it down. He just prayed it was enough.

"I got it!" Lyra called up.

Silver breathed out a heavy sigh of relief as he tried to pull up Magneton and Lyra.

But he couldn't.

He wasn't strong enough to lift up both their weights, even with Magneton trying to come back up.

"No!" Silver shouted.

"Dabra!" his Kadabra called, appearing.

It wrapped its arms around Silver's torso. His Sneasel and Haunter joined in. His Golbat flew down to try and support Lyra from below.

And his Meganium, his oldest Pokemon, bit onto the tail of his coat with her mouth to help him pull up his friend.

His Pokemon, who used to be so afraid of and angry towards him, were now helping him save the only one who cared for him – besides them. He felt his eyes begin to water.

"Hang on!" he called down to Lyra, and all of them began to lift her up.

With their combined might, they were more than enough to bring her up.

"Lyra!" he cried out.

"I'm okay, Silver," she reassured him.

With Lyra secure, Silver immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He was so afraid that he was about to lose her. After everything she'd done for him, everything he'd learned from her – everything he felt for her – he was absolutely terrified.

He loved her.

Tears running down his face, he looked up at his Pokemon who had just saved her life. "Thank you…," he whispered. "Thank you…"

They passed another moment in each other's embrace before Lyra finally broke the silence.

"Silver…?"

Silver blushed and let go.

"We should… get out of here," he managed to say, wiping the tears from his face.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Right."

* * *

The next morning, after the two had found a much safer place to rest, they resumed their journey and finally came to the end of Victory Road.

Just outside of this cave was the Pokemon League HQ, where the Elite Four were.

Where his dream of being the best had brought him.

Where her dream of being the best had brought her.

Silver stopped, Lyra bumping into him.

"Oh, sorry!" she said.

Silver turned to face her.

He had to tell her.

"Lyra…," he said, struggling to make eye contact. "I…"

Lyra raised a brow, unsure of what was going on.

"I… I challenge you," he said, having lost his nerve at the last minute.

"What? Now?"

"Yeah," he said, going with it despite inwardly cursing at himself. "You've come so far; you must be a good trainer. But we can't both the very best." He drew a Pokeball from his belt. "For old times' sake," he said. "Let's go."

Lyra smiled.

"You got it."

Sneasel and Sandslash stood before each other, preparing to fight.

"Sneasel, use Icy Wind!"

"Sandslash, use Earthquake!"

The pair's battle lasted over two hours, their Pokemon very evenly-matched.

Pokemon after Pokemon fainted, until finally it was a winner-take-all showdown between the two oldest rivals. Feraligatr and Meganium.

"Use Surf!"

"Use Petal Dance!"

"Meg!"

"Feraligatr!"

Attack followed attack, trainers shouted commands and encouragement at their Pokemon.

In the end, the match went to Lyra and Feraligatr.

"You did it, Feraligatr!" Lyra cheered, giving the giant lizard a big hug. It growled happily with the bit of energy it had left.

Silver recalled his Meganium, and turned to Lyra. "I gave it everything I had, and I still lost."

Lyra frowned. "Silver…," she pleaded, not wanting him to feel bad over losing.

But he smiled back at her. "Congratulations, Lyra," he said.

She didn't reply, but she beamed at her opponent's reaction to losing.

He took it gracefully. He didn't grumble about weak Pokemon or chalk it up to a fluke on her part.

There wasn't a single doubt in her mind. He had truly changed.

"I haven't given up on becoming the world's greatest trainer," he said, looking at Meganium's Pokeball in his hand. "I'm going to train, and become stronger," he continued, looking up at her. He smiled, and added, "And when I do, I'll challenge you."

"You'd better," Lyra smiled back.

"Hmmph," he said. "You keep at it until then, Lyra."

"You're not leaving, are you?" Lyra asked, crestfallen at the thought.

"You don't… you don't need a… weakling like me dragging you down in there," he said, somewhat sadly.

"Silver!" Lyra protested. "Just one minute."

Silver's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh…"

"'Weakling?' 'WEAKLING?'" she repeated, her tone angry. "For a year now, I've had to listen to you go on and on about weaklings and strength! And do you know what?"

"Lyra…?"

"You don't know the first thing about being weak, Silvy! This past year, I've watched you go from a newbie trainer to an expert one! You beat all eight Johto League Gyms almost as fast as I did! In that entire year since you became a trainer, you've only lost six battles! Six! That is less than I've lost!"

Silver's jaw dropped.

"You are the strongest trainer I know, Silver," she said, her face inches from his. "I mean that."

Silver tried to find words to say, but none came.

"That's what I thought," Lyra said, smiling. "Now you are going to march into the HQ with me, and you are going to watch me fight the Elite Four, and you are going to be standing there waiting for me once I come out. Am I clear?"

Silver began to stutter. "Uh… Uh.. Y-yes, ma'am. W-whatever you say."

Lyra smiled, and grabbed Silver's hand.

He felt his cheeks heat up as she grabbed hold, and led him up the path to the League HQ, Feraligatr following them.

She healed up her Pokemon, and registered to challenge the Elite Four.

"Wish me luck, Silver," she said.

"If you lose," he said, a smile on his face, "especially after beating me, I'll never forgive you."

"You just watch," she said, playfully punching him on the arm. "I'm about to become the new Johto Champion right here."

"You'd better."

"Lyra Soul, please enter the arena," came a voice over the intercom. "Lyra Soul, please enter the arena."

"All right," she said, "time to go."

"Good luck," he told her.

"Thanks," she said. Then, without thinking, she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

Silver's eyes widened, his expression very confused.

The color drained from Lyra's face as she realized what she'd just done. Her eyes widened immensely, and she looked absolutely horrified.

"I…," she said quietly, "…I can explain."

Before she could, Silver grabbed hold of her and pulled her close, giving her another, much deeper kiss.

* * *

 _ **So, I've been switching between Crystal and SoulSilver for a few weeks now (when I'm not playing Pokemon Go), and I don't know why, but ever since HG/SS came out, I've been a fan of the SoulSilver ship.**_

 _ **Figured, "Hey, I haven't written anything in a while. Let me try my hand at this."**_

 _ **It's good to work on new things when you can't think of things to work on for your other things. Thing.**_

 _ **I originally wrote this up as a Oneshot (which, I guess, you could still say it is, since I uploaded it all at once), but I didn't expect it to be so long. I ended up splitting it into 5 parts so it'd be easier to bookmark where you were.**_

 _ **I worked practically nonstop on this for two days. Barring sleep and getting food, this was all I did.**_

 _ **I think it's actually pretty good.**_

 _ **But, given that I wrote it, of course I'd think that.**_

 _ **I have you guys to tell me that it's good, though.**_

 _ **So, leave me a review.**_


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